Society is in the middle of a consumption epidemic.

We have more unhealthy food than ever, more leisure time, and more information than ever.

Look at the normal diet of a high schooler. They have sugar/carb-filled cereal without nutritional value (I'm looking at you, Cinnamon Toast Crunch). Their lunch at school is mostly bread (empty carbs), and the meat isn't even real. Dinner is where they get most of the nutritional value throughout the day, but even that doesn't cut it.

Do you wonder why most of us are tired, have brain fog, and have spurts of hyperactivity?

I'm not just talking about the food industry, either. We consume an overload of information. The digital age and social media opened the door to a hidden revolution that came upon us like a thief in the night—and it destroyed our minds.

The Information Revolution

Before the digital age, receiving information was increasingly difficult. In the 1980s, a kid who grew up in a low-income community couldn't access information about investing and the stock market. That information was kept secret by prestigious institutions.

You had to have gone to the right schools, met the right people, and have been born in the right neighborhood to get access to some of the most valuable information:

• How to take care of your body

• How to get into a lucrative career path

• How to build high-income skills

• How to handle your investments

• How to secure your wealth for the next generation

The digital age and the information revolution changed the entire game. Information that was gatekept for exclusive people has become decentralized and available to the masses through YouTube, podcast platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts, Amazon and other book distributors.

Universities are losing their intrinsic value year-after-year because the information they teach is becoming so readily available online either for free or for a fraction of the price.

Since we're exposed to more valuable information, you would think that we would improve our circumstances, right? You're wrong.

It turns out, when we're exposed to more information, we just consume more of what we already want. If you like to watch gaming videos on YouTube, and get exposed to more information, you'll just consume more video game content. If you listen to rap music and get exposed to more music, you'll just listen to more rap music.

Let me know if these sound familiar

• You're always listening to something. Whether in the car, walking somewhere or commuting to work or school.

• You mostly listen to music when you're driving or walking, but you tend to watch YouTube videos about stuff you're interested in.

• You doom scroll on TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts whenever you have a chance to.

Think about it, you usually listen to what you're already interested in. For me, it was rap and video games. I'm sure other people are into that stuff too, but I want you to look deeper.

The information revolution has exposed us to more media than ever. Most media is poisoning us. Rap music is the prime example. Listen to the lyrics of the next rap song you hear, specifically how they talk about women, money and materialism, sex and violence.

These 'artists' are filling your brain constantly with a distorted perception of reality. As a 14-year old, I'd be on the bus about to take my Italian mid-term, meanwhile thinking about murder, drugs, sex, and money.

Want to know why there are more baby mamas, baby daddies, violence, and materialism than ever? It's because of what the average American is listening to.

How do we fix this?

The first choice seems to be to swap out what we're listening to/what we are consuming. This may seem like the best option, but after a while, this has the inverse effect.

When I went to college, I swapped out the rap music and video game content for podcasts, books, and educational YouTube videos. This is good in the beginning but if it's a 1 for 1 swap with what you are consuming, this tends to have the inverse effect.

It doesn't matter who you're listening to, if you listen to them, they will impact what you think and how you think. Whether it's the hottest rapper, or the most viral internet marketing guru. If you listen to them long enough, their beliefs will transfer to you.

While this doesn't seem like a terrible thing, that person isn't you. So many people today are facing identity crises and are going through impostor syndromes because they are adopting other people's beliefs, perspectives, and ideas as their own.

We've lost sight of who we are at our core. We've lost the identity of who we are in our soul. The information revolution has caused us to overconsume on content that doesn't 100% align with who we are.

This overconsumption not only shifts us to being someone we aren't, but the overconsumption fills our brain with mental calories that we don't even do anything with. Watching motivational videos does nothing for you if you're listening to them in the car. It sits in your brain and gets stored as mental fat.

Over time, this causes you to be sluggish and tired after just trying to watch a simple YouTube video. You need to get rid of the noise because it is drowning out your own inner voice. Your connection to God.

God speaks to us all the time, but we can't hear him because he whispers. His whispers get drowned out from all the noise in our lives. As he tries to guide us to a life of fulfillment, we can't hear his guidance and end up being lost in a journey that we can figure out all by ourselves.

3-Steps to Tune Out Noise and Tune Into God

There is a simple process that we can go through to start to hear our inner voice and the voice of God.

Step 1 - Media Fasting

We must first identify all the noise that is trying to drown out our inner voice and the voice of God. Think of all the things that you listen to, watch, read, or hear and disconnect from them:

• No music with or without lyrics

• No books/audiobooks

• No social media (Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, X, etc.)

• No watching the news or reading about the news online

• No web browsing

• No video games

• No TV shows

This isn't forever. For the best results, try this for a week. You can tell your friends and family what you're doing so they'll know why you're not viewing the TikToks they send you. Some people do this for as long as 30 days, but you'll see significant results after just a week.

Step 2 - Fill the Void

Most people spend 8+ hours on their phones. What would you do if you had 8+ of free time that was just given to you? Most people have no idea what they would use that time for.

If we don't fill those gaps in our life, it will create a vacuum that will just be filled with more consumption and time wasting. We need to be smart. Here are ways you can fill the void of removing worldly noise:

Journaling + Writing

Writing is one of the most beneficial things you can do. I've learned that when I feel the most anxious or stressed, it has been solved with writing. It is a way you can get anything you are feeling or thinking through out and onto paper.

A tactic I recommend you try is something called Morning Pages. It was coined by Julia Cameron in her best selling book The Artist's Way. You write three pages of whatever comes to your mind first thing in the morning. It's best to do it using a traditional notebook and pen.

It's like a brain dump—just write quickly and don't worry about making it perfect. You can write anything: your thoughts, feelings, or even random stuff. The goal is to clear your mind and get rid of any worries before starting your day. It helps you be more creative and feel calm.

When you are feeling restless, chaotic, and filled with uncontrollable thoughts, Buddhists call this "the monkey mind". Morning Pages are a way to take that monkey mind and trap it on paper so you can continue your day with peace and tranquility.

Journaling will grow you closer to your true self than any self-help book could ever teach you.

Meditation

Meditation is another fantastic practice that can be done anywhere. All it takes is a place to sit, close your eyes, and concentrate on your breathing for 5-10+ minutes. Meditation helps you clear your mind of thoughts that are dictating your emotions. During meditation, it is often when the voice of God speaks to us. All we do is just sit, breathe, and listen.

Spending Time with Nature

Spending time in nature has supernatural qualities to it. I don't want to get too sciencey, but spending time in nature and grounding (walking barefoot on land like grass or sand) charges the cells in your body, and gives you incredible life and energy. We should spend as much time as possible outside.

Gratitude Practice

Reflecting on the things you are grateful for allows you to connect to your higher power and to God. Practicing gratitude frequently will help you not take life for granted and appreciate the small things that are happening. You start to pay attention to details in life that you used to overlook.

Exercise

In my personal experience, there are 2 practices you can implement that will drastically improve your mental health:

1. Work out

2. Go on walks

I wish I understood the science behind it more to describe it to you, but ask anyone who works out, and they will tell you that it does 10x more for the mind that it does the body.

Going on walks takes the cake because everyone can go on a walk. Walks are free. Walks in themselves are a form of meditation. Walks become a way you solve problems, think through creative ideas, and ponder difficult decisions that you are trying to make.

If you ever find yourself learning about the creative process, you learn that ideas strike whenever you aren't working directly on your project. And the best way to stimulate and foster solution generation is to go on a walk.

You can combine this with spending time in nature for a multitude of mental, physical, and spiritual benefits. Walks without worldly influence are one of the prime ways you can hear your inner voice and God speaking from within.

Step 3 - Reintroduction

Some of us are 100% okay with not needing social media, and that's fine. I'm not opposed to that. Some of us need social media in our lives, in one way or another. We have social lives that are fostered through social media, group chats, etc. We have businesses that rely on social media as a marketing channel.

We can't remain off grid forever, so how can we introduce social media back into our lives in a healthy way? The key is intention. It's called mindless consumption for a reason. We are allowed to be on social media, it's just important to attach it to a reason why we are on the app. We are allowed to doom-scroll every once in a while. But when it becomes the default protocol after being bored for 2 minutes, that's when it becomes a problem.

The best thing that I have found is to set restrictions on myself using technology to aid me. My favorite app for this is Opal. I set time boundaries for when I can use social media. I can only use social media between 12:00 pm and 9:00 pm for 2 reasons:

1. I have 0 distractions in the morning,g so I get deep work done

2. I have 0 distractions in the evening so I can get quality sleep without any stress

In addition to setting boundaries, I have time limits set on my phone and my computer. I can only use social media for 1.5 hours max. This allows me to be 100% intentional with how I use those apps. I can scroll on reels if I choose to, but once I hit that 90 minute mark, that's it for the day. Opal has that feature too, allowing you to set boundaries and time limits on both your phone and your computer.

You can check out Opal here if you're interested in a free 1-month guest pass.

Intention with Your Attention

This is what it comes down to. I highly encourage you to continue those practices even after your media fast. Spend alone time journaling, meditating, going on walks. God is meant to guide you throughout life. The more you try to hear him, the more he'll speak to you, which means you'll try to hear more. It's a positive cycle that rewards you the more you tap in.

Start tomorrow because you're delaying the wisdom and guidance that God has in store for you.

Let me know if you guys enjoyed this post.

Send it to a friend who needs it. I wish I had something like this when I would be scrolling in my bed for 5+ hours a day.

Part 2 of my podcast with Palmer came out a few days ago.

Check it out here:

Thanks for reading

Talk soon.

Godspeed,

—Ferrone